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Old 08-16-2022, 04:44 PM   #1
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1999 3spd O/D trans does not always shift down into 1st from stop

This started back in May on a very hot day in Mexicali and has continued intermittently.



At first I thought torque converter was slipping but it has never slipped when driving no matter the grade or temperature in a couple thousand miles since.



If I start in 1st manually 1st gear works fine. But in auto after things warm up from a stop it seems like it is slipping for a moment but it became apparent it is starting in second then snaps down into 1st suddenly and abruptly.


Is there any way I can easily adjust this situation or must I visit a transmission shop?


Thanks!
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Old 08-16-2022, 05:17 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bayrider View Post
This started back in May on a very hot day in Mexicali and has continued intermittently.



At first I thought torque converter was slipping but it has never slipped when driving no matter the grade or temperature in a couple thousand miles since.



If I start in 1st manually 1st gear works fine. But in auto after things warm up from a stop it seems like it is slipping for a moment but it became apparent it is starting in second then snaps down into 1st suddenly and abruptly.


Is there any way I can easily adjust this situation or must I visit a transmission shop?


Thanks!
The first step on an automatic transmission is always be sure the fluid level is correct. Not low or too high.

On your Ford, it needs to be at operating temperature. Drive it 20 miles or so. Park the coach on level ground. Pull the dipstick, wipe it off and stick it. Level should be at the top line or circle.

Add fluid if low. Ford owners manual will specify what fluid. If fluid too high, needs to be sucked out or drained. Fluid too high allows rotating parts to contact sump and create foam in the fluid. Foam is compressible and causes many troubles.

Go ahead and take a smell of the fluid on the stick too. If it's burnt or more black than red, a transmission service is called for. Meaning drop the pan and change the filter, clean the magnet. Not a flush.

Let us know if problem persists with fluid full and clean.
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Old 08-16-2022, 07:20 PM   #3
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I think you have a four speed and in particular a ""4R100". Only simple answer I know of right off is that there have been known to be 'sticking" shift solenoids on those. Unfortunately there isn't a discreet shift solenoid to replace, you have to replace the entire solenoid pack. Bright side is that it can be very easily replaced, especially if you (or some shop) are doing a fluid and filter change anyway.

Transmissions are pretty complicated beasts, just shooting from the hip. A proper diagnosis would include having a scan tool connected and reading the data while the issue is recreated to see if you can tell what is in fact actually happening. But more than one shop would likely throw a solenoid block on it to "give it a try".
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Old 08-16-2022, 09:20 PM   #4
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When was last time you changed oil and filter ? How many miles ?
Good luck and keep us posted
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Old 08-17-2022, 09:28 AM   #5
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This is a known problem. It happend to me also. Way back when, Ford came out with a new ecm wire harness which changed the way the ground connections are routed. That harness is no longer available. it's not that hard to do it yourself.



https://www.irv2.com/forums/f23/v10-...ml#post6203554



https://www.irv2.com/forums/f23/tran...ml#post3951232



https://www.irv2.com/forums/f84/tran...ml#post3223052


https://www.irv2.com/forums/f23/spee...ml#post2849614
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Old 08-17-2022, 11:57 AM   #6
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At this point I'd ignore everything except what spyderRV posted above. Good luck!
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Old 08-17-2022, 12:11 PM   #7
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At this point I'd ignore everything except what spyderRV posted above. Good luck!
The first step in Every automatic transmission diagnosis is checking fluid level.

Why would anyone ignore that?
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Old 08-17-2022, 12:19 PM   #8
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If its a 4R 100.

99 RV could have a 97 chassis with the AOD.
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Old 08-17-2022, 05:38 PM   #9
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Picky people! Sheez. I can't imagine the owner not having checked the fluid already before asking for tech help on a forum. But maybe I am being too optimistic? What I intended was for him to first focus on the info in post #5 over what I said about solenoids. All that said his issues do not indicate a high, low, or bad fluid problem.

OK, I'll be picky too. An "AOD" was never used in anything but cars and the lightest duty pickups. I think maybe E4OD was meant but I'm not having a stroke over it, no big deal.
If it is in fact a 1999 chassis it SHOULD have the 4R100 transmission. There was enough variation in RV's through the years that I wouldn't bet any money on it having exactly what it ought to have going strictly by the numbers.
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Old 08-18-2022, 12:54 AM   #10
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Something else to keep in mind, according to Mark K., a retired Ford transmission engineer, the early 4R100 transmissions were actually E4OD. He advised me that's what I had. My question was why was the transmission's shift getting slow and soft if it has sensors for adaptive shifting. He said look for the sensors. They won't be there.


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Old 08-18-2022, 01:10 AM   #11
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Edit add.......


I installed a modified accumulator valve body to tighten up the shifts assuming it was a 4R100 and not a E4OD from John Wood. It doesn't bark the tires but is a quick shift!




https://www.riffraffdiesel.com/john-...00-valve-body/
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Old 08-18-2022, 03:26 AM   #12
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Spyder is gonna be hard to beat on this one, 99 could very well have the label on the pan that identifies it as a 4R100, while in fact being an E4OD. The size of the motorhome on the OP's profile is too big for a 4R70 or EOD. I wish the OP had given more info about the general specifics like mileage, etc. Because of the age, the three things that come to mind first for me after electrical diagnostics are Check balls, separator plate, and valve body torque. After that I thought of the screens in the valve bodies on these transmissions, however that would most likely result in a consistent problem, and more shift issues.



By the way one of the most important things in the performance of an automatic transmission is proper fluid level in normal operating orientation of the correct fluid. Most Ford transmissions are sensitive to overfilling by as little as a pint causing contact with the rotating assembly aerating the fluid causing rapid depletion of the additives in the oil and accelerated wear of moving parts as well as poor performance, so Code2e was 100% correct in his response.
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Old 08-18-2022, 07:25 AM   #13
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Ford called the transmission in the '99 F53 a 4R100. It just different than the 4R100 that year in other stuff, and the 4R100 in later F53s. They are all based on the E4OD. Lots of differences through the years in E4OD and 4R100 and between the different applications of them. What Ford named them is mostly irrelevant.

OP needs to check out the wiring, very good chance that's his issue. Really don't need to know more than that.
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Old 08-18-2022, 08:18 AM   #14
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Don't get so hung up about the difference between an E4OD and a 4R100. The 4R100 is a renamed E4OD.

In 1999 the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) proposed a naming convention for transmissions and Ford accepted it. E4OD meant Electronic Four speed OverDrive and 4R100 meant Four speed Rear wheel drive 1000 n-m torque capacity.

The biggest difference between the two is that the E4OD (and the very early 4R100) did not have speed sensors on top of the trans. The internals were essentially identical.

And AOD was never used in the F53 chassis. And I have never heard of an EOD transmission. What is that?

And getting back to the original question, getting the codes and some data is the only way to fix this. Forscan is the way to do both of those.
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